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television and hoped 400 people were watching therm. Anything the cornmittee could do to
<br /> merease.exposure and get feedback from the public would be beneficial, he added. We shouldn't
<br /> be doing this in a vacuwm,he said.
<br /> The vice Chairman said that he thought the audience was a lot larger than four people.
<br /> He added that the only reason he suggested five minutes prior to the meeting was that sometimes,
<br /> public comment could turn into an hour, easily.
<br /> The Clerk said that people were watching from the comfort of their own home.
<br /> The Vice Chairman said that having five minutes before the meeting was at the discretion
<br /> of the haurnan,
<br /> Beverly Kane spoke and said that the committee should encourage participation in any
<br /> way, shape or form. She added that she was very disappointed that the committee was not getting
<br /> any press coverage. She said that the committee should be open to written comments, Criticisms
<br /> available through an e-mail address.
<br /> The Chairman said he would see about getting the meeting set yup on the Town of
<br /> Mashpee web site,with an a-mail adds ess. He said that the committee should set up a public
<br /> forum in the very beginning,
<br /> Economic Development
<br /> The Chafiman turned the meeting over to John Miller, to continue the previous meeting's
<br /> discussion of economic development.
<br /> Mr. Miller thought he would gust give a brief overview of his take on where the Town
<br /> was or wasn't in respect to econorm'c initiatives.
<br /> His understanding was that the town had a somewhat formalized economic program for
<br /> initiatives dating back as far as 1992, At that point, there was an econorr'c development for the
<br /> Town, a pact-time executive director or administrator and for the relatively short prod of time,
<br /> four to five gears that it existed,he said,there were tangible benefits derived ftom that
<br /> investment,ranging from planning,to zoning issues to public-relations,publicity and awareness.
<br /> He said these were proactive things to make Mashpee as attractive as it could be to
<br /> appropriate business or industry. There were some real success stories,he added. A lot of that
<br /> initiative led over a period of time toward persuading the state legislature to enact legislation that
<br /> would enable the creation of an economic development of an industrial corporation otherwise
<br /> mown as FDIC in the Town of Mashpee. That was shepherded by Matt Patrick and Rob
<br /> O}Keary, both of who told M�•. Miller that they had their hands full, with all sorts of issues,
<br /> relative to being freshman in the legislature at the time. Nonetheless, they were diligent in
<br /> response to then what wishes of the Town of Mashpee were,. to pass that act. which is still on the
<br /> books, he added,and will always be there unless it is revoked by the legislature, which is not
<br /> likely to happen.
<br /> More or less concurrent with passage of that legislation in 2002, the economic
<br /> development office for the Town was eliminated and there were other priorities, Mr. Miller said..
<br /> There has not been any structured approach to Ileal with the economic issues, on the Town's part.
<br /> The Chamber of Commerce, of which Mr. Miller is on the board of,has always had a good
<br /> relationship with the Town Ach inistrator and that still exists, he said. He didn't mean to suggest
<br /> that through hirn that the Chamber is lobbying to move ahead with this.
<br /> He handed out written documents, which explained what the Chapter 3 76 of the Acts of
<br /> 2002 was, and another which explained an FDIC, or Economic Development Industrial
<br /> Corporation.
<br /> By way of preface, he thought there was a tremendous opportLmity for the Town, at little
<br /> cost of money or human resources to the Town, to press forward in establishing an ERIC,which
<br /> was long overdue, and had been enabled sinee 2002,N -. Miller said.
<br /> Mr. Miller explained that basically, it results with the creation of an independent, not-for-
<br /> profit organization that has,much as the town does, the power to raise funds through bonds,to
<br /> accept funds on appropriate projects that are approved by the State. There was an affordable
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